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Safire 4 vs Spectre
JYRO Safire 4 · Performance Designs Spectre · Canopy explorer
What differs — read from the data
- Safire 4 is made by JYRO; Spectre is made by Performance Designs.
- Planform: both are listed as semi-elliptical.
- Safire 4 has 9 cells; Spectre has 7 cells.
- Neither is cross-braced.
- Safire 4 is listed in 109–189 sq ft; Spectre in 97–230 sq ft.
- The listed size ranges overlap between 109 and 189 sq ft.
- Published aspect ratio: Safire 4 2.55, Spectre 2.14.
- The manufacturers publish different systems: Performance Designs lists a maximum exit weight per skill category and size; JYRO lists a recommended wing-loading range and a chart with jump-number bands. They are shown side by side, never translated into each other.
Structural facts only (manufacturer, planform, cells, bracing, sizes, chart system). How each wing flies is described below in the manufacturer's own words; how it flies for you is a question for a canopy coach.
Side by side
| Safire 4 | Spectre | |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | JYRO | Performance Designs |
| Status | current | current |
| Cells | 9 | 7 |
| Planform | semi-elliptical | semi-elliptical |
| Cross-braced | no | no |
| Aspect ratio | 2.55 | 2.14 |
| Sizes (sq ft) | 109–189 · custom sizes available Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗ | 97–230 Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗ |
| Designed for (manufacturer wording) |
|
|
| Characteristics (manufacturer keywords) | Smooth, stable, on-heading openings · Quick, clean recovery from dives and turns · Powerful progressive flare · Front risers optional at lighter loadings Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗ | Soft openings with long snivel · Short recovery arc · Flat glide Source: Performance Designs — Spectre product page ↗ |
| Opening | Soft, progressive snivel; increased heading reliability; bow-tie bridle balances deployment (JYRO). | All sizes of the Spectre have a relatively long snivel and slow inflation speed. More resistant to off-heading openings than many other canopies, and tends to turn less and recover more quickly if it does open off-heading. |
| Recovery arc | Recovery from dives and turns is quick and clean (JYRO). | Short recovery arc (product page). FC: loses more altitude in a turn than some other canopies; will dive longer and lose more altitude in a turn than the Stiletto. |
| Glide | Glide ratio ~2.8; mini ribs boost glide; long straight glide on rears (JYRO). | At full glide the Spectre actually has a slightly flatter glide angle than some nine-cell canopies, including both the original Sabre and the Sabre2. |
| Speed / dive | 'Not trying to be a swoop machine' (JYRO) — no airspeed figures published. | Flies at about the same airspeed as the original Sabre, the Sabre2, and the Stiletto (qualitative; no figures published). |
| Flare | More powerful, progressive flare; more range (JYRO). | Tends to have a lower flare point or "sweet spot"; you will need to pull the toggles a bit farther to stop your descent. |
| Front risers | Accessible and easy to manage; pressure similar to the Safire 3 (JYRO). | Relatively light front riser pressure; even larger sizes respond fairly well to front riser input. |
| Rear risers | Long glide, responds to small deliberate inputs (JYRO). | not published |
| Harness response | Responds to intentional weight shift; not hyper-reactive (JYRO). | not published |
| Toggle response | Responsive without being twitchy (JYRO). | Turns more quickly and smoothly than a rectangular canopy, with less toggle pressure; product page: smooth, progressive toggle response. Very responsive in braked flight. |
| Loading system | Recommended wing-loading range 1.0–1.6 lb/ft² plus a chart with jump-number bands (below). | Maximum exit weight per PD skill category and size (chart below). |
| Manufacturer-stated experience requirements | none stated | none stated |
| Evidence level | B — Manufacturer product information | A — Manufacturer technical documentation |
Flight wording is quoted or closely paraphrased from each manufacturer's own documents; where a manufacturer publishes nothing for a row it says "not published". No airspeed figures are published by either manufacturer.
Your wing loading on each size
Enter an exit weight to see exit weight ÷ size for every listed size of both canopies and where each number sits on the manufacturer's own chart.
Wing loading = exit weight (lb) ÷ size (ft²). PD's chart lists the MAXIMUM exit weight per skill category — the category shown is the lowest one whose maximum covers your weight, by PD's own rule. JYRO's range is a manufacturer envelope, not a target. The two systems are never translated into each other.
The manufacturers' charts
Safire 4 — JYRO wing-loading chart
Recommended wing-loading range: 1.0–1.6 lb/ft² Source: JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) ↗
34 chart cells (exit weight × size → wing loading), colour bands = minimum jump numbers: 400+ jumps · 500+ jumps · 700+ jumps · 100+ jumps · 200+ jumps · 300+ jumps · 900+ jumps
Source: JYRO — Safire 4 wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) ↗Spectre — Performance Designs chart: maximum exit weight (lb) per category
| Size | Student | Novice | Intermediate | Advanced | Expert | Maximum (never exceed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97 | N/S | N/S | N/S | 97 | 126 | 155 |
| 107 | N/S | N/S | N/S | 107 | 139 | 171 |
| 120 | N/S | 102 | 114 | 120 | 156 | 192 |
| 135 | N/S | 114 | 128 | 135 | 175 | 216 |
| 150 | N/S | 135 | 150 | 165 | 195 | 240 |
| 170 | N/S | 153 | 170 | 187 | 221 | 255 |
| 190 | N/S | 171 | 190 | 209 | 228 | 266 |
| 210 | N/S | 189 | 210 | 231 | 252 | 273 |
| 230 | N/S | 218 | 230 | 253 | 276 | 299 |
N/S = not suggested by the manufacturer for that category. Weights are maximums, not recommendations.
Source: Performance Designs — Spectre sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Spectre Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0175 REV.0) ↗Sources
- B JYRO — Safire 4 product page (page modified 2026-09-02) — open ↗
- B JYRO — Safire 4 wing-loading chart (image) (WL_Chart_V4) — open ↗
- B Performance Designs — Spectre product page — open ↗
- A Performance Designs — Spectre Flight Characteristics (FC-0012 Rev. 0) — open ↗
- B Performance Designs — Spectre sizing / wing-loading chart (PD website Spectre Wing Loading Chart, TABLE-0175 REV.0) — open ↗
Evidence levels: A = manufacturer technical documentation, B = manufacturer product information. Knowledge base version canopy-kb-2026.09.23-r3. All sources used on this site
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